Thomson Healthcare, a leading provider of healthcare data and decision support solutions, recently announced the 2006 100 Top Hospitals Performance Improvement Leaders - and Flagler Hospital was the only hospital in Northeast Florida to earn this distinction. This is the second year in a row that Flagler Hospital has been awarded this recognition.

The Thomson study uses trending methodologies to identify hospital management teams that have led their organizations to achieve the fastest rate of consistent annual organizational improvement over five consecutive years (2001-2005). To earn its position in the top 100, Flagler Hospital exceeded national benchmarks for sustained improvement in clinical outcomes, safety, hospital efficiency, financial stability and growth.

"We are honored that one of the nation's leading healthcare organizations has again placed us among the top 100 hospitals in the country for performance improvement," stated Flagler Hospital President Joe Gordy. "It is always rewarding to see our commitment to excellence and quality care gain recognition on a national level. Most importantly, Flagler Hospital's ongoing success continues to benefit the members of our community."

"The leadership of the hospital and all of the people who work there have heard the national call to increase the pace of improvement for patients across the nation. Their efforts to improve performance have resulted in consistent year-over-year improvement that is among the fastest rate in the nation for its type of hospital," said Jean Chenoweth, senior vice president, 100 Top Hospitals programs, Center for Healthcare Improvement, Thomson Healthcare. "This means that your local hospital has found the key to continually improving the health services for the people in the community."

More information on this study and other 100 Top Hospitals research is available at http://www.100tophospitals.com.

About Thomson Healthcare
Thomson Healthcare is the leading provider of decision support solutions that help organizations across the healthcare industry improve clinical and business performance. Thomson Healthcare products and services help clinicians, hospitals, employers, health plans, government agencies, and pharmaceutical companies understand healthcare markets, access medical and drug information, manage costs, and improve the quality of healthcare.

Thomson Healthcare is a part of The Thomson Corporation, a provider of value-added information, software tools and applications to professionals in the fields of healthcare, law, tax, accounting, scientific research, and financial services. The Corporation's common shares are listed on the New York and Toronto stock exchanges (NYSE: TOC; TSX: TOC). For more information, visit http://www.thomsonhealthcare.com.

About Flagler Hospital
Flagler Hospital is a 316 bed acute care hospital serving St. Augustine and surrounding Florida communities. Flagler Hospital is the region's only hospital to receive the ANCC Magnet hospital award and is recognized nationally for overall clinical excellence. Flagler Hospital was named among U.S. News & World Report's "America's Best Hospitals 2007" and recognized in the Top 50 for Digestive Disorders, Neurology & Neurosurgery, and Respiratory Disorders. Flagler Hospital is the recipient of the HealthGrades 2006 Patient Safety Award, the Thomson Healthcare 100 Top Hospitals Performance Improvement Award, the HealthGrades 2006 Cardiac Care Award, and was named the 2006 Best Place to Work by the
Jacksonville Business Journal.